Daily Office Readings for Saturday of Proper 6: Year 1
Morning, Psalms 87 and 90; Evening, Psalm 136;
1st Samuel 4:1 to 11; Acts 4:32 to 5:11; Luke 21:20 to 28:
“The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone:” (Psalm 90: 10).
I am well into my 70’s now. While I have been walking around on this earth for what seems like a long time to me, it is nothing to God who knows no time. I tell people that as we live, we are living in our “dash.” The dash is that time that begins at our birth and ends with our death. What’s important in our dash time is not what we can do for ourselves. What is important is how close we can attach ourselves to the eternal God.
What is most important during our dash time is our ability to be open to God’s loving-kindness everyday. The Psalmist says, “Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life:” (Psalm 90:14). We all have challenging days but perhaps with God’s help we can have better days, most days.
Some of our daily rejoicing is dependent on us. I don’t think the sum of our lives necessarily as to be labor and sorrow, that pass away quickly and we are gone. We must apply an effort in our rejoicing. If we take one step in love and happiness, God takes two. When we use our hearts and hands in the service of God, and in the service of those among us who are distressed, we will have a loving and memorable dash time, even noticed by God. The Psalmist concludes, “May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork:” (Psalm 90:17).
Let us live in order that we might love, rather than just live to live, listening to what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 